Having issued a decree on September 27, 2013, in accordance with canon 515 §2 suppressing Sacred Heart Mission, Blackville, South Carolina, and unifying it with Holy Trinity Parish, Orangeburg, South Carolina;
Having considered the report regarding the present condition of the Sacred Heart Church building and the cost of repairing and maintaining said building for future use;
Having consulted the pastor of Holy Trinity Parish, which is the territorial parish to which the temporal goods of the suppressed Sacred Heart Mission were transferred, regarding the inability of Holy Trinity Parish to maintain Sacred Heart Church in good and useable condition and provide the needed repairs to the building;
Having ensured the Catholic Faithful of Blackville, South Carolina, are to be provided for through the unification with Holy Trinity Parish and, therefore, the good of souls suffers no detriment;
Having determined that no persons can claim legitimate rights in Sacred Heart Church; Having sought and heard the counsel of the Presbyteral Council of the Diocese of Charleston on September 15, 2014; and in accordance with the norms of canon 1222 §2 and by testimony of this document;
I hereby decree Sacred Heart Church, Blackville, be relegated to profane but not sordid use.
The grave reasons that motivate this decision were presented in full to the Presbyteral Council. Holy Trinity Parish is clearly unable to sustain Sacred Heart Church in good and useable condition and provide for the necessary repairs to the aging structure; the resources of the Diocese of Charleston are insufficient for preserving and maintaining the church; and other sources of revenue are not currently available for such purpose. In addition, the decline in the Catholic worshiping community and overall population in Blackville, South Carolina; the relative proximity of other worship communities and churches; as well as the best use of available priest personnel further promote this decision.
I direct that this decree be published on the website for the Diocese of Charleston, sccatholic.org, which will be presumed the official notification of this action. A petition for revocation or emendation of this decree is subject to canons 1732 – 1739.
The relegation of Sacred Heart Church, Blackville, to profane but not sordid use is to become effective Monday, October 13, 2014, nothing the contrary withstanding.
Given at Charleston, South Carolina, on the 30th day of September 2014.
Most Reverend Robert E. Guglielmone
Bishop of Charleston
Sr. Sandra Makowski, SSMN, JCL
Chancellor